Nav Widget Area

2015: Unplugging To Plug In

I spent the past two weeks completely unplugged from social media and the blog. It was the first time since I started the blog, 3 years ago, that I purposefully stepped away. We have been going, going, going for so long that I desperately wanted to take a vacation from my daily routine and give my family my undivided attention. Honestly, I didn’t know if I could do it. Typically I like to be busy, just ask my mom, husband, or college professors.

The first couple days were a struggle. I had to physically remove my social media apps from my iPhone to prevent myself from mindless surfing. The constant dings, bings, and beeps of Facebook notifications, Tweets, and Emails kept me always within arms reach of my phone. They taunted me with their melodious ringtones – in a creepy hushed voice, “LLAAUURREENN, someone needs you. There’s a party going on and you’re missing it! LLAAUURREENN!”

I don’t think I truly realized how “addicted” I had become to social media. Most of my social media surfing was done during down times: nap time, carpool pick up time, while waiting for something or someone, after getting the kiddos to bed for the evening, etc. What I found during the past two weeks was that I wasn’t taking time for myself. I treated my online social media surfing as my “me” time. But I found that it left me feeling as though I was in a constant state of urgency, which added to my already present anxiety.

It wasn’t until I no longer felt the need to run to my computer or check my phone compulsively that I began to feel more at ease and able to live more “in the moment.” Of course, I hadn’t realized just how out of sorts I’d felt until I stopped the craziness.

Do you remember how it was back in the, ahem, “olden days?” A time when we didn’t have email, texting abilities, or the internet. If I wanted to get in touch with someone, I had to pick up the corded phone and call, but not before checking the time first. Since I was calling the house, I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t calling too late or too early. And if I didn’t get ahold of said person, I’d leave a message on their, wait for it….answering machine. {GASP!} Only to be retrieved once he/she arrived home. That could be later that day or even weeks later. In the meantime, what did I do? I can tell you what I didn’t do. I didn’t sit by my {corded} phone and repeatedly press the play button on my answering machine hoping that a message had been magically left without my knowing it. But what I’m really getting at is that I didn’t expect an immediate response. Of course the story may have been a bit different if I was awaiting a call from my crush of the week – these rules don’t apply to boys. 🙂 All in all, time seemed to move a bit slower. Life was simpler, less urgent. Something that, having gotten a taste of its sweetness, I now crave.

The timing of my “electroni-cation,” if you will, couldn’t have come at a more perfect time: right before the start of a new year. I’d like to say that was all a part of my evil plan, but it wasn’t. It just happened that way. But God knew. He knew what I desperately needed.

I’m not big into creating news year’s resolutions as 365 days is a long time to keep anything going, refrain from doing something, or tackle something new and be successful. I learned long ago that I do better setting smaller, more obtainable goals for myself. Something that can go on a to-do list. I like the rush I feel when I’ve accomplished something and when I can check that thing off of my list. It brings me great joy and fills me with a sense of purpose.

Despite my lack of resolutions, the start of a new year is a great time to reflect on the year that just came to a close and pray for God’s guidance and desires for our family moving forward. The past two weeks provided lots of time for reflection and prayer. It was glorious.

A Look Back…

2014 was a wonderful year filled with many blessings and also many challenges. God broke me down and challenged me in ways that at times felt cruel. But it was in those moments when I was truly able to let go and rely on Him for EVERYTHING. He taught me to love the valleys. He taught me that in times of waiting, I’m not actually stagnant, which is often how it feels, but in fact if my eyes are on Him then I am moving forward. Closer to Him. Closer to the woman He wants me to be. Closer to the life He wants me to live. He’s shown me that His plans and His timing are ALWAYS better than my own and that by accepting that truth I can better live in the moment rather than dwell on the past or fixate on the future. These are truths that my head has known for a long time, but it wasn’t until this year that my heart was fully able to feel and accept them.

As I’ve reflected on 2014 I’ve realized that I haven’t been doing a very good job of taking care of myself. Not necessarily in a physical sense (although there’s always room for improvement), but in the emotional sense. I’ve allowed myself to overcommit to countless projects and events (all of which are good things), to not say “no” to things when I’ve felt the nudge from the Holy Spirit, and to allow the worry of the “what ifs” and the worry of tomorrow to seize my mind.

Moving Forward…

With all of that said, I’m treating this year as my call to change. To take all that I’ve learned from 2014 and applying it to my everyday life. To take daily steps to make life simpler. To change the things that I can and to accept the things that I can’t. To live every day in full surrender to God’s plans and purposes knowing full-well that they are 1 million, trillion, bajillion times better than my own. And ultimately, to unplug a little more often so I can be more present with my little men. I know that by getting my priorities right, everything else will fall into place.

So what about the blog? Oh yes, it’s still very much alive and I’m excited about some big things that are coming up this year. I just wanted to take a bit and share with you a piece of my heart and what God’s been doing in my life.

If you, too, are struggling with unplugging and/or saying no (or yes) to things, I would encourage you to check out these books. These are a couple of the books that I read this year that spoke deeply to my heart. Wonderful, wonderful reads!

Related

Reader Interactions

Comments

God reminded me in 2014 that He is in charge. After endless hours of worry, fear, anxiety and lots of other emotions about our baby to be, I needed to continue to pray for strength and guidance. After seeing Anna turn 5 months old and watch her grow and achieve her milestones, I am constantly reminded that He’s got this. He is in charge of her plan, not me….and it is awesome. I continue to pray for her growth and development of course but also to trust Him and not question the plan. 🙂

Jamie,
Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing how much better we can feel when we finally let go and let God takeover. After all, He’s already in control. It’s been such a blessing for me to watch Anna grown and hit milestones, too! A true testament to God’s faithfulness. You are such a good mamma! God truly knew what He was doing when He made you Anna’s mommy! Continued prayers for your entire family!
xoxo,
Lauren

This was a wonderful read:) Thank you for sharing your heart with us. I have learned to wait on the Lord. Sometimes waiting can mean years of praying but God is always faithful to His promises and true to His word. I have learned to speak less and pray more for those I love. Finally, keeping a blessing journal to record answered prayers, little touches of His grace, or just the sunshine on a cloudy day….makes my heart sing. What am I going to do in 2015….fill the house with praise music while I clean closets, drawers, cabinets. 🙂 My 2015 resolution: to speak only what is uplifting, encouraging, or a blessing.

Primary Sidebar

Wife, Boy Mom, & Jesus Follower!

I love fountain cokes, cookie dough (egg free, of course), bright colors, flowers, high standards, old movies and above all else, my Lord and Savior! I may have gained the title, Food Allergy Mom, but it isn't going to stop our family from loving the abundant life that we've been given.